Aerodynamic-- relative to racing, aerodynamics is the engineering and science of how air affects the car's handling, speed, and overall performance. As air passes over a moving car it creates drag and downforce. Both are a function of the friction and turbulance of the air as it passes over, under, and around the vehicle. The goal in aerodynamic engineering is to introduce enough downforce to increase the car's cornering speeds without adding so much drag as to penalize it's top speed. The right balance between the two will produce the fastest possible lap times. Too much downforce might improve cornering speeds, but limit high-speed acceleration and top speed so that even with fast corner speeds, there is an overall time loss.
Below is a list of automotive and road racing terms. Click on any of the letters to go to the start of that section, click on the term to open a window with the definition.
aerodynamic
anti-roll bar
apex
aspect ratio
backmarker
balaclava
balance, handling
bedding pads
blip, throttle
blocking
blow-off valve
brake bias
braking point
brake-turning
breathing the throttle
bump steer
camber
camber, negative
camber, positive
castor
chicane
chief steward
contact patch, tire
corner apex
corner entry
corner exit
corner station
corner turn-in
corner worker
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tactile feedback
tight (handling)
trail braking
toe
turn-in point
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